"This community is so generous. Estevan is probably a one-of-a-kind community because not only do people get behind places like Creighton Lodge...but they also get behind the people in the community," Shelly Veroba noted.
Creighton Lodge's kitchen expansion is already well underway, but it received another boost from the newly formed Prairie Prime Junior Stock Club. A little over a week ago, at their first ever Show and Sale, the new stock club put up a charity steer named Kirk. The goal was to donate the money raised from auctioning Kirk to Creighton Lodge. $71,000 was raised as a result of a bidding war between two coalitions.
Kirk was originally owned and bred by DK Land and Cattle. The steer was first sold at $40,000 to Ray and Doris Frehlick, Ken Wallawein, Ron Carson, Turnbull Excavating, Bent Shed Oil, Senchuk Ford and Certified Energy. The steer was donated back into the auction, netting another $30,000. The second coalition was made up of Estevan Motors, Murray GM, Prairie Animal Health Clinic, Kingston Midstream, E&G Auto Parts and Service, Redhawk Well Service, Ambrose and Cheryl Hengen, Scottsburn Dental, Grimes Sales and Service, Chamney Crushing, Daniel and Sarah Bettner, Prairie View Acres and Smart Power Systems. An extra $1,000 was donated to Creighton Lodge from Wil-Tech Industries.
"It was amazing to be in that atmosphere as well with a group of people who - young people - who are out there making sure that they get these animals fed and taken care of and then show them, and also the parents that supported them. And then all the people in the business community, the people that were just there to support these young people in their first annual charity steer auction. It was just an amazing night, and for Creighton Lodge to be the recipient of this kind of generosity, [it] is over the moon for us all."
"We were so blessed to have been chosen. Ray Frehlick said it best. Creighton Lodge is a senior's home that is needed in this area, and we should all support it."
The $1.5 million expansion of Creighton Lodge is on track, assures Veroba. She's also confident that the group has the funds to finish the project without depleting their reserves, as the money raised from the charity auction has given them some cushion in the budget.
"The biggest thing is that once the kitchen is built, if we stay on point and everything comes through, our trust fund will be depleted. This auction is helping us make sure that we stay on budget and we're within our means with the kitchen. But also that at the end of the day, our trust fund may still have just a little bit of money left over so that when our next project gets started, we won't have depleted the entire trust fund."
Veroba and her team at Creighton Lodge was over the moon after seeing the amount of support they received. She lauded the generosity of Estevan's residents and farming community for supporting their cause. "That means with the volunteering with the different events that we have, the generosity in continuously coming out and supporting all of the different ventures that we have, the different events, anything that we are doing in Estevan, get people supported - and that is just amazing."
For the Prairie Prime Junior Stock Club, it was an easy choice to support Creighton Lodge in their first show and sale. "The kids, as well as the parents and families, were overwhelming agreement that Creighton Lodge kitchen expansion program was definitely one that we should contribute to and have 100% of the proceeds of this steer go towards," shared Kristen Fornwald, co-owner of DK Land and Cattle and mother to Brenna Fornwald, who showed the steer.
"I don't think that any of us had any expectations as to what we could do. We just wanted to do something good for the community as an organization. Our family was just really honored that we could be a part of it and contribute." Fornwald on the success of the event and supporting Creighton Lodge.
Veroba added that the $1.5 million project has been fully funded, but they continue to get support from the community. She said that in the last three months, the Lodge has seen over $300,000 in donations towards the expansion. they're hoping to see the project be completed by November 1, 2025.
"Anybody that is still interested in donating, we would graciously accept the donations. They can come to Creighton Lodge directly themselves. They can phone me. I can help them out at 306-634-4154. We are always accepting donations. We do provide tax receipts."
She noted that if you're not able donate to the Lodge monetarily, you can also help out by volunteering your time. She encouraging the community that, regardless of the cause, everyone should find the time to volunteer and get involved in the community.